The scream hit the silent camp like cold water thrown into a boiling pot.

Chaos erupted instantly. Women screamed, children wailed, and men shouted in panic. Some began frantically packing, preparing to flee blindly into the dark.

In a moment of distraction, Chen Ye saw a flash of sword light streak towards the source of the scream. A towering figure followed close behind—Iron Lion.

Nana and Iron Lion, the convoy’s combat Sequence Beyonders, had already mobilized.

The camp remained in disarray. The psychological shadow cast by the Anomalies was a nightmare the survivors couldn’t wake from. Not far away, Zhou Lan and her brother looked towards the disturbance, terror written plainly on their faces.

Chen Ye grabbed his hand crossbow, loaded a bolt coated in Black Dog Blood, and stood guard by his tricycle.

Under the blood-red moon, the nearby woods were alive with flickering shadows. Chen Ye squinted, his scalp tingling as he realized the trees were hiding dozens of figures. If those were all Anomalies, the camp was doomed.

Where is Chu Che? Chen Ye thought, panic rising. He’s supposed to sense danger. How did something get this close?

Suddenly, a dark figure staggered out from the tree line.

“Please… help us!” a weak, desperate voice called out.

A strong beam of light from a flashlight cut through the darkness, landing on the lead figure. The person raised a hand to block the glare, revealing tattered clothes, ragged skin, and only one shoe.

It was a human.

A collective sigh of relief washed over the camp.

No wonder Chu Che hadn’t raised the alarm. As a Pathfinder and Danger Sensor, his abilities were tuned to the supernatural frequencies of Anomalies; humans were just background noise to him.

More figures emerged from the woods—a second, a third, then dozens. They were filthy, emaciated, and haggard. Survivors.

“Who are you?” Chu Che appeared at the front of the crowd, his expression vigilant.

“Sir… we escaped from Lucheng,” the lead survivor stammered. “Lucheng… is gone!”

At his words, the group behind him broke into soft, hopeless sobbing.

Chen Ye’s heart sank. Lucheng wasn’t a metropolis like Shanghu, but it was a famous second-tier city known for its tourism and food. He had once planned to take his girlfriend there. Now, like Shanghu, it was a Forbidden Zone for Humanity.

“Lucheng is gone too?” someone whispered.

“It’s over. Humanity has no hope left.”

“My parents are in Lucheng… wuwuwu…”

The camp fell into despair once again.

The newcomers explained their situation. They had been hiding in an underground parking garage for months until the Anomalies became too much to bear. Originally over two hundred strong, only these few dozen remained.

Chen Ye sidled up to Chu Che. “Old Chu, will these people attract Anomalies?”

Chu Che glanced at him, seemingly annoyed by the nickname, but didn’t correct him. Instead, he crouched down, grabbed a handful of dirt, and tossed it into his mouth, chewing slowly as if savoring a fine meal.

After ten seconds, he opened his eyes and nodded at Nana.

Chen Ye understood. Chu Che had confirmed they weren’t being trailed.

The abilities of Sequence Beyonders were truly miraculous. Chu Che ate dirt to sense danger; Iron Lion regenerated limbs. Chen Ye touched his crossbow. The system had promised a way to awaken a true Sequence for 3,000 Slaughter Points. He needed those points desperately.

“You can join, but you have to follow the rules!” Chu Che announced, his voice cutting through the murmurs.

“We’ll follow any rules, as long as we can live!” the leader cried.

“The only rule here is fairness,” Chu Che said coldly. “I will provide food for free for one day. After that, you feed yourselves.”

With that, he turned and walked away.

The convoy, once depleted by the horrors of Apricot Blossom Town, was now back over a hundred strong. Chen Ye watched the newcomers for a moment before returning to his vehicle.

The camp settled into a rhythm. Chu Che assigned a few middle-aged women to cook a simple meal of thin porridge and pickled vegetables. The scent of food seemed to calm nerves slightly.

Chen Ye lay in the cargo bed of his tricycle, wrapping his coat tight. Tomorrow, they would reach Longevity Village. Big cities were death traps now, Forbidden Zones where no human could tread. Small, remote villages offered a sliver of hope—and for Chen Ye, a hunting ground.

He needed to farm Slaughter Points. He needed that 3,000 point awakening method.

As he drifted off, a shrill, unfamiliar female voice shattered the quiet.

“It’s unfair! Why are only women doing the work? Why aren’t the men doing anything? You’re discriminating against women!”